After beating Hillsdale High School 3-1, girls volleyball clinched the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I (DI) State Championship in the final match of the state playoff tournament Nov. 19. The title match ended the team’s 30-8 season, with a 6-2 Mission League record. 

Outside hitter Avery Jones ’23 said the championship win represented the culmination of the team’s hard work throughout the season, both on and off the court.

“We’ve worked very hard as a team to make a very healthy culture that allows everyone to feel comfortable in any situation,” Jones said. “During practice, we would make sure to really focus on getting better, and leave all of our distractions outside of the gym. [Girls Volleyball Program Head Natalie Morgan] always reminded us to stay present, and work hard for each other.”

Morgan joined the athletic staff this past August, and outside hitter Sophia Lindus ’22 said Morgan has played a significant role in guiding the team to their state title.

“[All the players] love [Morgan] and the rest of the coaching staff because of their optimism and faith in the team,” Lindus said. “This trust in [the team] both as players and people helped us go so far this season, and because of the coaches’ skills, we trusted each other too.”

While winning the state championship was important to her, Jones said she thinks the team’s improvement this season was of greater importance.

“Our biggest accomplishment was beating teams that earlier in the season, [we] had really struggled playing against,” Jones said. “[The players’ most significant achievement] was building up our confidence and working really hard in practice, which ultimately created a positive result: a state and regional championship.”

With no more games in its competitive season, girls volleyball will soon begin off season training to prepare for next year. Reflecting on her journey within the program before graduating and continuing her volleyball career at Wesleyan University, Lindus said she knows the team will continue to be successful because of how far it has come this season. 

“It was such a team effort to get to this point, and I’m so proud of us,” Lindus said.